Farmers’ children may receive university admission benefits

Children of farmers and their employees in Uzbekistan may be admitted to universities on reduced tuition contracts if their test scores fall short of admission thresholds. The proposal was presented on February 9 during a briefing to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on developing new agricultural land and advancing agricultural science.

According to the presentation, irrigation and land-reclamation efforts have brought 826,500 hectares into agricultural use over the past five years. Of this, 409,000 hectares are irrigated land, while 418,000 hectares were developed in rainfed and pasture areas through the use of groundwater and low-water-demand crops.

Plans were also presented to develop and improve another 938,000 hectares of pastureland by 2030. In 2026–2027, 620,000 hectares of pasture will be restored, pasture plants will be sown on 300,000 hectares, and wells will be installed on 130,000 hectares. This is expected to enable the breeding of 960,000 small livestock and increase meat and wool production.

The presentation stressed the need to implement projects for new land development based on clear investors and project plans for each region. It also highlighted the need to reform the existing institutional infrastructure to advance agricultural science. To this end, 22 research centers, 260 laboratories, and more than 2,500 scientists will be unified under a single structure — the Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

The academy’s priority areas are proposed to include biotechnology and molecular biology, genetic engineering and hybrid seed production, smart agriculture, space and drone technologies, land degradation and soil health, organic agriculture and food security, veterinary science, and digital agriculture.

Measures to ensure the effective operation of the academy were outlined.

Special attention was given to training personnel for the agricultural sector. Currently, 13,600 students study at Tashkent State Agrarian University, but only 55 percent of graduates work in their field due to insufficient practical training.

In response, plans call for integrating education, research, and production to prepare specialists who meet labor market needs.

In the future, 6,800 university students will complete internships in manufacturing organizations, enterprises, and agro-clusters, while more than 2,600 will train at 22 research institutes under the Ministry of Agriculture.

It was also proposed to admit children of farmers and their employees on reduced tuition contracts if their test scores do not meet admission thresholds, shorten study duration from four years to three in seven programs, and train students to obtain tractor operator licenses and use agricultural drones.

The presentation also reviewed the activities of the Agency for the Development of the Agro-Industry.

Last year, intensive and industrial orchards and vineyards were established on 44,000 hectares of underperforming land, creating 37,000 jobs.

These orchards and vineyards are expected to begin producing in 2027 and generate up to $660 million in annual fruit and vegetable exports. Projects include apples, raspberries, and apricots on 500 hectares in Sokh; apricots and peaches on 164 hectares in Termez district; 309 hectares in Ohangaron district; 550 hectares in Bulungur; 60 hectares of “Avatar” grapes in Kuva; and peach and plum plantations on 504 hectares in Pop district.

The report also stressed the need to continue this work in 2026 by creating 25,500 hectares of orchards and 5,000 hectares of vineyards and generating 48,000 permanent and seasonal jobs.

Uzbekistan imports $60 million worth of seedlings annually, but the country has the capacity to produce them domestically to European standards.

In this regard, the agency has created a collection of virus-free, high-yield parent varieties of more than 200 fruit types. To expand production and distribution, laboratory and nursery complexes are being established on 50 hectares in Bektemir district and 75 hectares in Yukori Chirchiq district. These facilities are expected to produce 27 million seedlings annually once launched by the end of the year.

The president gave relevant instructions to officials following the presentation.

Earlier, it was reported that Uzbekistan may allocate subsidies of up to 75 million soums to master farmers.